Love Changes
by Awen Sofer
Summary: Love: a four letter word that can mean so much. Love can change people. Love itself can also change for each season in a person's life. There is the love of a parent, of a sibling, or of a friend. Then there is the romantic love between a man and a woman. Can Naruto experience all of these in a lifetime from one woman? Rated M because it will be necessary for later chapters.
1. Introduction

This story is a different take on the basic premise of my Cougar story: the unusual and unlikely relationship that occurs between Naruto and Nao. I had been toying with the idea of revisiting that storyline for quite a while because honestly I don't care too much for the unfocused approach I took to writing that story. When I received a private message from someone requesting a rewrite, that was the nudge I needed to just jump right in and do it. I am using the OC Nao again, but the story will be quite different from the other. So here we go...

* * *

INTRODUCTION

Nao was sitting on the front steps that led into her shop. She watched a herd of the village children run by, all of them laughing and yelling at each other. So young and carefree...and happy. She envied them. Her childhood had been taken away from her when her mother died two years ago. At the age of fourteen she had been forced to take over her mother's shop so she could take care of herself. Thankfully her mother had been training her to be an herbalist and shopkeeper practically since the day she had been born. Her extensive knowledge gained at an early age had spared her from being trapped in the village welfare system that supported the orphans of Konoha. Sighing deeply and wallowing in a bit of self-pity, her eyes landed on the little blonde that had been left behind by the pack of wild children. She watched him walk past with his head hanging low, looking sorrowful and dejected. Lonely; he looked so incredibly lonely walking by himself down the street kicking random stones. She could hear the occasional sob and sniff as he continued on his way to find the others.

"Hey, are you looking for your friends?" Nao asked, giving him a sympathetic smile. His eyes mesmerized her; so big, so blue, and so full of hurt. Tears had made streaks through the dirt on his face.

"They're not my friends," he sniffed, wiping his arm over his face which turned the tears and dirt into mud smudges.

"Oh? Why not?" she inquired, waving for him to come over. She patted the wooden step next to her in an invitation for him to sit down.

"They don't like me. They say I'm a demon. They throw rocks at me and call me names," he sobbed, fresh tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Are you?" She put her finger under his chin to raise it and make him look at her.

"Am I what?" His sapphire blue eyes filled with confusion.

"A demon," she said, her eyes following the path of the stray tear that zigzagged down his cheek.

"No...yes," he corrected, averting his gaze from her kind eyes that were the color of leaves in the spring.

"Which is it?" She released his chin, and he turned his head away from her.

"I don't know." He sighed noisily, stomping his feet on the step beneath them in frustration.

"Come inside," she invited him, standing up to open the door. She allowed him to walk in first, then followed. Picking him up beneath the arms, she hugged his little body briefly before sitting him down on one of the bar stools at her counter. He was so small, so thin. "How old are you?"

"Eight," he answered, clutching the seat between his legs as if he were afraid he might fall off. He watched her pour water from the cast iron kettle over the fire into a deep wooden bowl. "How old are you?"

"It's not proper to ask a lady her age," she reprimanded him, taking a washcloth from the cabinet beside the stone fireplace.

"I'm a kid. I don't know what's proper. How old are you, lady?" he repeated boldly, staring at her with his over sized blue eyes.

Nao smiled, dipping the washcloth down into the hot water. She squeezed out the steaming water not noticing the temperature. Cupping his chin, she raised his dirty face to study it. "You're going to pay for asking that question little brat," she muttered, forcing her lips down into a frown. She wanted to giggle from seeing the abject terror rush into his eyes when he realized he was about to be cleaned up. "I'm sixteen."

"AAAAHHHH!" he screamed, turning his head from side to side as she commenced to scraping off the filth.

"What's your name?" she questioned him, dipping the washcloth again and squeezing out as much dirt as possible before going at him for a second round.

"Na-Na-Naruto," he sputtered, struggling uselessly.

"Oh! There's a cute little boy under all that muck!" she exclaimed once she had managed to clean off his face thoroughly. Her fingers traced the three black streaks on one of his cheeks. She had heard of this little boy who they claimed was the holder of the fox demon. He looked about as vicious as a cute fluffy kitten.

"Hmph," he muttered, poking out his bottom lip in a pout as he narrowed his big eyes to angrily glare at her. A blush had painted his whisker marked cheeks a bright rosy red. "What's your name?"

"Nao," she replied, glancing at the bowl full of muddy water. Her eyes scanned his hands which were still very dirty. "Go wash your hands, and I'll give you a treat," she promised, pointing to the door of the bathroom that was just down the hall. She was not beyond a bribe to get him to agree to get clean. Besides, the poor little thing looked as if he had not eaten in days, and he was as light as a feather.

"Oh, boy!" he exclaimed happily, rushing to clean his hands.

Nao smiled to herself as she made her way to the kitchen at the very back of the shop. She also lived here. It was not a palace, but it was a roof over her head and the commute to work was convenient. All she had to do was walk out of her bedroom and she had arrived. Reaching into the cookie jar shaped like a big fat toad, she took out three of the chocolate chip cookies she had just baked this morning. Occasionally she would bake things and sell them or give them away. Pouring him a glass of milk, she returned to the shop up front to find him sitting on the bar stool waiting for her. Setting the plate down in front of him, she patted him on his head covered with golden spikes. She kept silent as he inhaled the cookies and milk.

"Want more?"

"Oh, yes, please!"

"At least you're polite sometimes. Stay right there. I'll be back."

Naruto was not the kind of child to always do what he was told. As a matter of fact, he hardly ever followed instructions. He slid from the bar stool to investigate his surroundings. His eyes scanned over the myriad of glass jars, vials, and tins that were filled with all sorts of leaves, powders, and liquids. Standing up on his tiptoes, he reached for a bottle of black and grey powder. He rolled the bottle between his hands to examine the powder inside before pulling out the cork. Bringing the little jar to his nose, he sniffed. His nose began to burn and his eyes watered. Then a tickle started deep in his nose before he sneezed loudly. He grimaced, quickly corking the bottle and returning it to its shelf. Wiping his nose on his sleeve and sniffing, he continued his exploration. His fingers dredged through the baskets full of wheat, rice, and other kinds of grains. There were jars containing nuts and dried fruits, a few of which he sampled. Once he was done investigating the shop, he strolled down the hall where she had disappeared. He knew a bathroom was behind the first door. What lay behind the second door?

Carefully pushing open the door with his fingertips, he jumped when it creaked loudly. Once it was completely open, he walked inside uttering a mesmerized "Wow." He had found her bedroom. Almost closing the door behind him, he decided to take a look around. There was a large futon covered with black and white blankets and a big fluffy pillow at the head of it. White curtains surrounded the bed along with heavier black curtains that had been pulled back. A big white wardrobe sat against one wall and a simple writing desk and chair were on the other side of the room. His hands pulled apart the see-through white curtains so he could get to the bed. He laid down, rolling up in the black blanket that felt like soft fur. For the first time in a while, he felt warm and relaxed - content. His eyelids grew heavy, and he felt a bit light-headed. Closing his eyes for a second could not hurt. He was sound asleep in less than a minute.

Nao returned to the counter with not only a refill of milk and cookies but a steaming bowl of vegetable ramen. She knew he needed real food and good nutrients so she had taken the time to prepare him something healthy to eat.

"Naruto?" she called, setting the tray of food on the counter. She searched under tables and in the cabinets for him, calling his name. The bathroom was empty so she looked outside. Nothing. If he had left, he would be long gone by now. "Hmmmm...now where could he have gone? Oh, well..." she mumbled to herself, picking up the tray to return the food to the kitchen.

On her way back up front, she noticed her bedroom door was open just a crack. She saw that there was a large lump in the middle of her bed. A lopsided smile tilted her lips when she saw the blond spikes poking out of the top of the rolled up black blanket. She went to him, kneeling down beside the human caterpillar on her bed. Peeling back the cover, she revealed his cute face that looked so incredibly sweet in sleep.

"Sleep well," she whispered, kissing his forehead. "You're not a demon. You have one locked inside of you. There's a difference."

* * *

Please don't complain about the length of this chapter. It is the introduction for pete's sake. Thanks for reading!


	2. Compassionate Love

Nao was sitting at her desk writing when she heard a low mewing sound from the caterpillar on the bed behind her. She had decided to let him sleep as long as he wished. The store had been closed, and dinner time had long passed. She was beginning to think he was going to sleep all night, and she would have to find other sleeping accommodations. Turning in her chair, she watched with amusement as the little blonde began to attempt to free himself from his cocoon. Her restrained giggle freed itself as the bundle rolled and grunted before his head finally popped out. After a ferocious yawn, he was able to loose one arm then the other to enjoy a lazy stretch. It was quite a struggle for him, but very entertaining for her, as the little caterpillar broke out of his cocoon. One day she was sure he would become a gorgeous butterfly. He would be someone special. He already was to hold the frightening Kyuubi within his small body. It was still difficult for her to believe that this little boy was the vessel containing the fox demon, but it was true. Her grin broadened as he rubbed his eyes with his fists to remove the last remnants of sleep. She continued to observe him in silence as he sat up and looked around with half-opened, sleepy blue eyes.

"Hi there. Welcome back to the world of the living," she greeted him, standing up from her chair.

"Huh?" he grunted, raising his arms above his head for another stretch.

"Are you hungry?" Nao asked, reaching to scoop him up into her arms. She smiled down at him as he twisted one of her deep auburn curls around his finger. Her hair was such a dark red it looked brown.

"My mama had red hair. Beautiful red hair like fire," he mumbled, gathering a fistful of her hair in his hand. "I like yours too. It's pretty."

"Do you remember much about your mother?" She sat him down in one of the four chairs at her small kitchen table.

"No. I was only baby. Grandpa has shown me pictures of my mama and daddy. He tells me a lot about them," he said, kicking his feet as he looked around. The kitchen was small but cozy and filled with all kinds of good smells from food.

"Grandpa? Who's Grandpa?" she asked, setting a bowl of ramen down in front of him.

"Ooooo, my favorite. It was mama's favorite too," he told her before digging into the food. "Grandpa Sarutobi," he mumbled through a mouth full of noodles to answer her question.

"The Hokage?" Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Yeah. Why?" He did not stop shoveling food into his mouth for anything, not even to talk.

"No reason." Nao turned her back to him to look out of her kitchen window. She did not want him to see the angry expression on her face. If the Hokage was close enough to this child that he took a personal interest in him, then why didn't he bother to provide adequate food and shelter for him? Or was it because harboring the keeper of the demon that devastated their village would endanger his political position? Sighing with frustration as more questions with no answers popped into her head, she gave up trying to figure it out. She convinced herself that the Hokage must have his reasons for not helping Naruto, and they were his reasons alone. It was also not her place to criticize or understand the leader of the village. The one person she did understand was the orphan sitting behind her. She had been an orphan too, but she had been lucky in that she had a way to make money, lived in a decent home, and could buy good food. At least she had her mother for fourteen years. Naruto never knew his mother. Rotating on her heel to look at him, her heart broke to see him scarfing down the ramen as if it might be his last meal.

"I better be leaving. I need to get home now," he announced, getting up from the table when the bowl was empty. "Thank you for the food, Nao."

"Why don't you come back in the morning for breakfast?" she suggested, opening the door for him and moving aside.

"Okay!" he exclaimed, running out of the door.

Nao studied him as he ran down the street with shocking speed. He was truly a surprising and amazing little boy. He turned back to wave at her with a big grin on his face. She returned his wave, reaching up to wipe the tear from her cheek. With a heavy sigh and heavier heart, she decided it was time to take a bath and get to bed.

Sleep, however, was an elusive and unattainable thing for her. Despite feeling clean and relaxed after soaking in the tub, her mind would not stop to allow sleep to overtake her. She could not quit thinking about the sweet little boy and what she should do to help him. There were no permanent solutions, but there were dozens of temporary possibilities. In the early morning hours when sleep had still not come, she gave up entirely. Getting out of bed and dressing for the day, she went to her kitchen to make herself some tea and think some more. One of the things she could do to help him was to feed him. She could also help the others as well. Pulling up her hair in a ponytail and tying on her apron. she set forth to bake dozens of sweet buns to take to all of the orphans.

The sun had just risen above the horizon when there was a loud knock at her back door. Nao quickly set down the pan of buns she had nearly dropped when he had startled her with the banging. Wiping her hands on her apron, she hurried to open the door. There to greet her stood the blonde with hair the same color as the sun and a smile just as bright and warm too.

"Hi, Nao!" he shouted with enthusiasm. He strode past her with bouncy footsteps before she had even invited him inside.

"Do come in, Naruto," she mumbled, closing the door behind him. The cool morning air had felt really good on her skin due to the sweltering heat in her kitchen from the oven. "You sure are lively for it to be so early in the morning. "

"Watcha doin'?" he inquired, poking one of the buns on the tray.

"Stop that," she chided him, slapping his hand. She handed him one of the cooled buns that had been piled in a basket.

"This morning we are going to deliver these buns to some special people who need them. I need your help to do it." She picked up the freshly baked buns from the tray with a cloth since they were still hot to carefully lay them in one of the baskets on the table.

"Where are we going?" He looked slightly guilty because he had stuffed the whole bun into his mouth. His cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel who had been gathering nuts.

Nao laughed, ruffling his hair. "We're taking these to the children at your apartment building."

"Really? They'll love this!" He snatched another bun out of the basket she held out to him. He crammed it in his mouth so he could hold the handles on the side.

"Can you handle that?" she inquired, balancing a basket on each of her hips.

"Of course I can. I'm a big strong man." The sentence came out around the bun in muffled syllables which made it even more comical.

"Men don't talk with their mouths full. Let's go," she chuckled, edging open the door with the toe of her shoe. She used her behind to bump it so it would close.

"Good thing you got a big butt, Nao," he said, observing her with open curiosity. He had dared to take the bun out of his mouth to deliver the insult loud and clear.

"What? I don't think I heard you," she teased, gently kicking him in the behind when he turned his back to her. "It's not that big. And never talk to a lady like that. Don't ever call a woman fat or any part of her body big if you want to live to see tomorrow."

Naruto kept silent the rest of the way to the apartment building, too intent on finishing the delicious sweet bun. That bun could very well be considered the thing that saved his life since it kept him from saying anything else insulting.

Nao halted her steps to stare up at the three-story monstrosity that should have been condemned and torn down years ago. Most of the windows were missing screens and some windows were broken. The bricks were so old they were crumbling. She cautiously walked up the cement front steps smiling at the children sitting on the edges of the stoop that led into the building. Upon seeing the dingy, dirty interior, she realized the worst part of this place was yet to be seen. The wallpaper had turned brown with age and was missing entirely in some places revealing the stained wall behind it. A few dim naked light bulbs hung from the ceiling casting their sickly yellow glow over the room. The floors were filthy and strewn with trash.

"Oh, this can't be," she murmured to herself, glancing around the horrible place. What she saw next almost brought tears to her eyes. Children began to appear, so many it seemed they were crawling from the walls around her.

"Here," Naruto said, holding out a bun to a timid little girl.

Nao guessed the child's age to be about three years old. In one hand she clutched a torn, bedraggled stuffed bunny. With her other hand she grasped the hand of an older girl, probably around ten, standing next to her. They looked alike so she assumed they were sisters. Glancing at the children gathered around her, Nao noted that they all seemed to be clean and well-groomed. Thank goodness for one small blessing for these orphans.

"It's okay," her blonde helper entreated the girl hungrily eying the food. "Take it."

Nao sighed with relief as the child snatched the bun from him and brought it to her mouth. She held out one to the six-year-old boy standing in front of her. Her lips lifted into a grin when he smiled broadly at her while taking the food.

"Thank you," he mumbled in gratitude, moving for the girl behind him to step up for her bun.

Nao began to worry their would not be enough to feed them all. However, her sleepless night and the hours she had spent baking had yielded enough buns to for most of the orphans to have seconds. She watched proudly as the children surrounded Naruto, chattering excitedly. He had become the hero of the day, and she was thrilled for him.

"Want to play?"

"Let's play hide and seek!"

"Want to go swimming?"

"No! Play with me!"

The questions and pleas were coming at Naruto faster than he could answer. Nao felt her grin widen as he was pushed along by the tidal wave of children to go have fun. After picking up all of the empty baskets, she headed home. It was almost time to open the shop.

~...~

Nao had just finished preparing lunch, making a plate for Naruto just in case he came by. She doubted he would come in because he would be too busy playing with the other children. He could eat it for dinner. The bell on the front door jingled alerting her that someone had entered the shop. Her lunch would have to wait as well. She rounded the corner to see the quiet and overly self-conscious Iruka Umino in her shop. He was four years older than her and an Academy teacher. A blush crept across her cheeks to match the one coloring his face. He came in occasionally to buy tea or spices. She thought he was really handsome with his dark eyes and deeply tanned skin. However, the spiky brown ponytail in which he kept his hair reminded her of a pineapple and made her want to laugh.

"Hi, Iruka. What can I do for you today?" she asked, hearing her voice rise an octave. How embarrassing.

"I would like to get some more of the green tea you suggested last time. Do you have anymore of that honey as well?" he inquired, moving up to the counter when she stood behind it.

"Of course I do. I keep it stocked just for you," Nao responded, giggling when his blush turned to crimson and crept up to the tips of his ears. She really did keep it just for him because he was the only one who wanted that particular kind of honey.

The bell rang again and in ran a blond flurry of pure energy. He rounded the counter, throwing his arms around Nao's waist to hug her tightly.

"I'm having the best day ever!" Naruto proclaimed, his blue eyes virtually dancing with joy as he looked up at her.

"I'm glad to hear it," she chuckled, patting his cheek. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving!" he exclaimed, hugging her tighter.

"There's food in the kitchen. Stop!" she yelled, making him freeze in his tracks after he took off at full speed toward the hall. "Wash your hands and face first."

"Ooooohhhh," he whined, pushing open the bathroom door.

"A new friend?" Iruka inquired, smiling at her.

"Yeah. He's such a sweet little thing. I like having him around," she returned, noticing the anger that flickered momentarily in his kind eyes. Her eyes followed the path of his finger that distractedly traced the scar across his nose and cheeks while he appeared lost in thought. He seemed to be reliving a memory and not a good one by the way his eyebrows drew together and the grief that filled his eyes. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, she gathered the items he had requested to send him on his way. She was anxious to get to lunch and to hear about Naruto's morning with the children. He excitedly recounted the events which included hide and seek, leap-frog, and swimming. The elated expression on his face and the animated way he moved his arms while talking kept her attention.

"I better go. They're waiting for me," he said after polishing off the plate of food.

"Have fun!" she exclaimed as he rushed out of the back door from the kitchen.

"Hey!" Naruto hollered, poking his head back in the door.

"Yeah?"

"Should I come back for dinner?"

Nao smiled, picking up the empty plates to put them in the sink. "I was already planning on it."

~...~

Their days became a predictably comfortable routine. Nao would rise before dawn to begin baking bread or cookies or some other treat to take to the children at the orphanage. Naruto would arrive for breakfast promptly at sunrise, and after eating together they would deliver the food to the children. While she was busy working, he was busy being an active, happy little boy by playing with his new friends - the kind of work he should be doing. At last, he had friends. No matter how hard he played, he was never late for lunch or dinner.

A few months passed when Nao decided to change their schedule by adding a new service for her customers. Several loyal patrons had asked her about delivering their purchases to their homes which seemed like a good idea to her. She welcomed the idea of getting out of the shop more. It would also present a learning opportunity for Naruto. She would be able to teach him about responsibility and the importance of being reliable. Moving out of his way as he came screaming past her, arms flung out to the sides, and with her apron tied around his neck as if it were a cape, she discovered maturity would come further down the road of life with age - hopefully. Catching him by the arm on his next fly by, she untied her apron and helped him get the backpack full of items on his back.

"All right, my big strong man, are you ready to go?" she asked, smiling at him because of the silly grin on his face that was so broad it made his eyes squinch up.

"Let's go!" he exclaimed, charging out of the door.

"Naruto!" she called after him as he ran down the street leaving her far behind. "Oh, this is going to be a long day."

When Nao finally caught up to him, Naruto was already standing at the door of the house where they were to make their first delivery. Apparently, he had knocked on the door because it opened and the frail older woman smiled down at him.

"Hi, old lady, we brought your medicine!" he blurted.

"Oh, god," Nao gasped, running up the sidewalk. She put her hand over his mouth, pushing him behind her. "I am so sorry, Atsuko. He's -"

"He's just a little boy, Nao. Don't fret so," the lady laughed, going back into her house without closing the door. She had gone to get the money for her purchase.

"Naruto!" Nao whispered, digging around in the backpack for the bottle of herbal elixir for Atsuko's arthritis. "You can't say things like that! Don't call people old...especially women."

"There's an awful lot of rules when it comes to talking to girls," he grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, yes, there is," she agreed, pulling out the bottle just as Atsuko appeared. She handed the woman the bottle, taking the money from her.

"This is for you," Atsuko said, bending down to hand Naruto a lollipop.

"Thank you," he returned, happily taking the round red sucker.

_Great...just what he needs. Something to give him more energy,_ Nao thought to herself while telling her happy customer good-bye. At least he would have something in his mouth to prevent him from talking at their next destination, the Haruno house. She asked Naruto to knock on the door while she retrieved a small bag out of the backpack.

Mebuki Haruno answered the door, a sneer of disgust making her lip pull back from her teeth when she saw the child whose identity she knew quite well.

"Here's the rooibos tea you asked for," Nao announced, pushing Naruto to the side so the woman no longer had him in her sight. She could not help but notice how swiftly the emotion in the woman's eyes changed when the child was no longer in view.

"Thank you, Nao," she said, peeking into the bag. She grimaced at what she saw. "It looks like leaves and twigs."

"That's what it is actually. It makes a lovely red tea that has fabulous health benefits including..."

Naruto could hear Nao's voice but everything she said sounded like "blah, blah, blah" in his ears. Shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his orange jumpsuit, he pushed a pebble off the sidewalk with the toe of his shoe. He scanned the grass in hopes of finding a toad to catch or perhaps a snake. When nothing moved in the grass to catch his attention, he began to rock back and forth on his heels while searching for something interesting. The movement of the curtain at the window caught his eye. He stared inside, waiting for something to happen. Two large, round eyes appeared. They were the color of the medicine Nao gave him when his tummy hurt. The person moved closer to the glass, and he could see a little girl with pink hair. He smiled at her. She stuck her tongue out at him in return. He frowned, crossing his eyes before poking out his tongue. She in turn made another ugly face to which he pulled up his nose to make himself look like a pig.

Nao could feel Naruto fidgeting beside her. When he began making snorting noises, she glanced down at him to see what he was up to. She was horrified to see he was making a pig face to taunt the little girl standing at the window. Placing her body between him and Mebuki, she intended to hide him completely from the woman's view. Every muscle in her body tensed when he let out a squeal like the porcine animal he was imitating. She bumped his shoulder with her hip to make him stop before he did it again.

Naruto glowered at her rear that was eye level to him. The encompassing desire welled within him to bite her round butt cheek to which her red cheongsam clung and outlined perfectly. It was in his face after all so why not? He was angry with her anyway for interrupting his game with the little girl. A devilish grin curled his lips as he raised his hand toward her behind.

"I would stee-EEP!" Nao squeaked, jumping when she felt a small hand on her derriere.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Mebuki asked, not quite catching that last instruction for brewing the tea.

"Um...ah," she mumbled, trying to form words while she struggled to remember what she had been talking about. She shrieked when he squeezed her behind; his little fingers were disturbingly strong.

"Are you all right?" the other woman inquired, becoming concerned with Nao's behavior.

"I-I'm f-fine," she stuttered, seizing Naruto's wrist before he groped her again. "Steep the tea for ten minutes. It's best with milk and sugar. I'll see you later."

Nao wanted so badly to slap that self-satisfied smirk off of his face. Instead, she said, "Naruto, don't you ever do that again. Being a pervert doesn't suit you."

"Are you sure? I rather liked it," he replied. He was stunned into paralysis and silence when he found himself nose to nose with an irate Nao. Her eyes were wide with fury, her teeth clenched, and her face had turned bright red to match her dress. At any second he expected to see flames shoot out of her ears or lightning from her eyes to zap him.

"What did you say?" she growled through her teeth, perilously close to losing her temper.

"N-n-nothing," he stammered, unable to run for his life because she still held his wrist.

"That's what I thought," she snarled, turning back around to proceed to pull him down the street.

Yikes! At that moment, Naruto vowed he would never make her angry again. She was terrifying.

~...~

Naruto let himself into the kitchen through the back door which Nao always left open for him. He had grown accustomed to their unremarkable but pleasant days together. Walking up the hall to find her, he could hear a man's voice in the shop. Peeking around the corner, he could see Iruka standing at the counter talking to Nao. He watched as the man pointed out something to her on the paper between them. Jealousy flooded the pit of his stomach with such intensity it made him feel ill when their heads bent together. They were so close their foreheads almost touched - too close. When Iruka's hand rested lightly on Nao's to move her finger across the paper, he could not take it anymore.

"Hi!" he bellowed, popping up right next to the counter. He was thrilled to see he scared both of them causing them to separate immediately, each one jumping back which put a satisfactory amount of distance between them. Using the stool as a ladder, he climbed onto the counter to sit cross-legged becoming a human barrier between the two people.

"What are you doing? Get down from there," Nao chastised him lightly. When he folded his arms and didn't move, she sat down on the stool. Grabbing him under the arms, she pulled him off the counter and into her lap.

Naruto was quite content in his present position. He buried his hand into her silky auburn curls, tangling them around his fingers. An arrogant grin curled his lips as he stared at Iruka with a definitive "it sucks to be you and it's great to be me" attitude.

"I'll see you later, Nao. 'Bye, Naruto," Iruka said, rolling up the map they had been examining.

"Good bye," they called after him in unison.

Nao turned Naruto to face her, holding him securely as he wrapped his legs around her waist. She kissed his forehead, then asked, "So how's your day?"

"I've been playing at the park today. I made two new friends, Shikamaru and Chōji ," he proclaimed proudly.

"That's fantastic!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "Now listen, don't forget about me on your rise to being Mr. Popularity, okay?"

"I could never forget you," he murmured, holding her face between his little hands. "You were my very first friend."

=^.v.^=

After several months of enjoying their comfortable daily pattern of living, Nao found herself deeply attached to the little blonde. Then she began having thoughts of bringing him into her home to live with her. He was like the little brother she never had; like the child she might never have. The thought of that terrible apartment building made her skin crawl. She could only imagine how his apartment looked. It was beginning to turn cold, and she was sure the building would be drafty and not keep out the chilly air. In her home, there was a storage room at the end of the hall full of surplus stock and odds and ends. She could clean that out and easily find another place to store those items. There would be plenty of room for a futon, a dresser, and a few toys. She doubted he had any kind of education. She could talk to Iruka about enrolling him in the academy, and -

"Nao? Nao! NNNNNAAAAAOOOOO!" Naruto bellowed at the top of his lungs to get her attention.

"Wh-what?" she stammered, not realizing she had been so engulfed in her musings.

"Did you hear me?" he asked, poking out his bottom lip. His blond eyebrows were drawn together over blue eyes darkened with agitation.

"I'm sorry, but no. What did you say?" she inquired, covering her mouth to hide her smile when he huffed and rolled his eyes.

"I said," he began, dragging out the word 'said' dramatically. "My birthday is next month."

"Oh, really?" she questioned him, trying not to sound too excited. "What day?"

"The tenth. Why?" Suspicion made his round eyes narrow as he studied her.

"I'll bake you a cake," she replied, only telling him part of the truth. A new home would be the best birthday surprise for him.

~...~

Nao was excited beyond all reason. She had almost cleared out her savings to buy the necessary items to furnish his room in addition to purchasing new clothes to replace that hideous orange jumpsuit he always wore. Iruka had been kind enough to help her move the surplus stock out of the room to another location. Everything was set up and waiting for Naruto; the bed was made, the dresser was full of clothes, and a few toys were scattered across the floor. The task had been tricky and time consuming to get accomplished with Naruto running in and out all day, but it had gotten done. She was putting the finishing touches on his cake when he walked into her kitchen.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto!" she exclaimed, showing him the chocolate cake. She watched in disbelief as his face crumbled and tears filled his eyes. Setting the cake down on the table, she gathered the crying child into her arms. "What's wrong?"

"I-I-I've never had a b-b-birthday cake before," he stuttered, crying uncontrollably. "No one's ever celebrated my birthday with me."

"Oh, Naruto," she murmured, kissing his tear soaked cheek. It never occurred to her that no one had ever celebrated his birthday. She doubted many people in this village were happy that he was alive. He had brought more joy to her in the last eight months than she had experienced in the two years before he came into her life. Her throat felt as if it were closing up and tears threatened to fall when he continued to cry. Setting him down on his feet, she used her apron to wipe away the salty wetness from his cheeks. "Hey, I've got a surprise for you."

Naruto grasped the hand that she held out to him. He let her pull him along to the closed door at the very end of the hall. "What's in there?" he asked in a whisper as if it were a secret.

"Open the door," she urged him, releasing his hand. She smiled as he looked up at her apprehensively while he reached for the brass knob, his big blue eyes swimming with uneasiness. Nodding her head, she assured him, "It's a good surprise. Go on...open it."

Naruto stared at the shiny doorknob as if something were hiding behind the door that would jump out and eat him up. With one last glance back at Nao, he gathered his courage and grabbed the knob to twist it. The door opened revealing the most beautiful sight he had seen since he had found her bedroom.

"It's yours," she told him when he gawked at the fully furnished room. It was not often the boy could be rendered speechless but this had done the job.

"Mine?" He pressed his hand against his chest, gazing up at her hopefully.

"Yours." She ran her hand over his wild but silky soft spikes. "Go inside."

Naruto squealed with immeasurable delight. He flung himself onto the bed, wallowing all over the comfy, velvety royal blue blanket. The sheets were white as snow and were so smooth and cool under his palm. He plunged face first into the marshmallow soft pillow, giggling ecstatically.

Nao could not stop herself from laughing and crying at the same time as she watched him sprawl across the futon on his back. This birthday surprise was even better than she had thought it would be. It startled her when he inhaled loudly, sitting bolt upright on the bed.

"This means I'll be living here," he declared as the full understanding soaked into his brain.

"Is that all right?" Her belly fluttered nervously. She had never considered that he might not want to live with her. Although the place repulsed her, perhaps he liked living in the apartment building by himself and being able to do as he pleased. Had she done this for purely selfish reasons? She chewed on her lower lip anxiously, studying him closely as he stood up and admired the room while turning in a slow circle.

"Nao, is this real? Do you really want me to live here?" he asked, sadness creeping into his eyes when he looked at her.

"Yes. I do want you to live here. I could be your big sister. We can be a family. You need someone...and I do too," she admitted, pulling in a shaky breath. Her bottom lip quivered despite the smile she wore. "Besides, you're a big strong man, right? I could use one of those around here to help me run the shop."

"Nao," he gasped, rushing to her to throw his arms around her waist. "I love you, big sister."

"I love you too."


	3. Innocent Love

Nao was sitting on the short wooden stool beside the bathtub allowing the water to run over her hand to check the temperature. She had changed out of her customary cheongsam into a plain white t-shirt that was extra long and loose in order for her to move freely while she assisted her new hyperactive charge with his bath. Drying off her hands with the fluffy towel, she walked out to see what mischief he was getting himself into. He had been quiet; way too quiet, especially for him. After a quick search of his regular hiding places, including both of their bedrooms, she had not found him.

"Where could that boy be?" she mumbled to herself. Meandering into her shop, she glanced around to see him sitting on the top rung of the ladder she used to reach the items on the higher shelves. Folding her arms over she chest, she watched him in inquisitive silence for several long minutes. He was studying the bottles, running his finger over the words written on the label as he tried to pronounce them. "I can teach you if you'd like."

"Whoa!" Naruto yelled, startled by the sound of her voice. He momentarily lost his balance on the ladder long enough to cause him to fall backwards.

Nao rushed forward to catch him in her arms. She grunted when his full weight hit her in the chest, driving her to her knees. Her kneecaps banged the wooden floorboards sending stinging pain racing up her thighs to her belly that clinched with such severity she felt nauseated.

"Teach me what?" Naruto asked, oblivious to her discomfort.

Nao groaned, setting him down on his feet. "I'll teach you how to read. I can also explain what all of these things are, tell you where they came from...anything you want to know. Ow," she gasped from the throbbing ache pulsating through her knees as she stood up. "But for now it's time for a bath."

"I don't wanna take a bath," he whined, stubbornly planting his feet in a wide stance.

"Come on. It's nearly bedtime and - "

"I don't wanna take a bath!"

"Naruto," she growled through her teeth. This cute little boy sure knew how to test her patience. His cuteness was the only thing that prevented her from killing him sometimes.

"I don't wanna and you can't make me!" He folded him arms over his chest resolutely, turning his nose up into the air to dismiss her. As far as he was concerned, he had won this argument. He had not yet been introduced to Nao's unyielding nature. At this moment, he was about to get acquainted with a new side of her personality.

"Yes, I can," she told him, grabbing him by the collar of his filthy t-shirt. He had been playing all day, therefore he was a disgraceful wreck covered with dirt and sweat. She dragged him, literally kicking and screaming, into the bathroom. Grabbing his brown shirt that had started out a pristine white, she snatched it over his head while he wiggled and screamed like a captured wild animal. Next, she seized the waist of his blue pants and stripped them off along with his underwear.

"Now who's being a pervert, Nao?" he accused, pushing at her chest when she picked him up to take him to the tub.

"Well, the thing is...if you're going to act like a baby, you're going to get treated like one," she said, sitting him in the tub.

Then the real battle began. It was like trying to bathe a cat. Naruto got one leg over the side of the tub, and when Nao pushed it back in he had flung over the other. This process repeated itself several times until she took a different tactic to keeping him in the water. Seizing both of his legs by the ankles, she plunked him down in the tub, successfully sloshing water over the side and down her front. He slid along the slick porcelain bottom, clawing at the side like a cat trying to extricate himself. Kicking out his foot, he knocked over Nao's bottle of lavender-scented bubble bath. Suddenly flower scented bubbles swirled around him and a few floated through the air.

"What's this?" Naruto asked, releasing the handfuls of her drenched t-shirt that he had grabbed onto in another vain attempt to pull himself out.

"Bubble bath. I make it myself. You like it?" she questioned him, smiling at him as he scooped up two handfuls of the fluffy white foam.

"I do like it. A lot," he murmured, deeply breathing in the lavender scent.

Nao drew in a sigh of relief when he did not try to escape the bath again. She sat down on the stool beside the tub, turning off the water before the bubbles overflowed the edge. Draping a towel over her chest, she dropped another one on the floor to soak up the water. Lavender really did have a calming effect because the formerly rowdy child settled down to contentedly splash and push around the mounds of suds. Reclining with her back against the wall, she picked up her book from the sinktop to begin reading.

"Whatcha reading?" Naruto inquired, fashioning a bubble hat for himself.

"I'm reading a story about a Queen who lived a long, long time ago," she answered without looking over her book at him.

"That doesn't sound very exciting," he muttered, deciding he should have a beard to match his hat.

"It's actually quite fascinating," she responded.

"Is it a made up story?"

"No. She was a real person."

"That sounds even more boring," he muttered, reforming the bubble hat into two big ears.

"It's not," she argued, rereading the sentence again so she could comprehend it. _He touched her breast drawing a moan from her lips that were painted a deep, blood red. _Oh, a good part.

"Would you read it to me?"

Nao felt her face heat up with a blush. She was reading about an independent Queen who chose to rule her country alone, without a husband. Although she refused to marry, she satisfied her sexual desires by having multiple affairs with men. Her favorite lover was the General of an enemy army. Their relationship was accounted in great detail in the book. "Uhhhh...no."

"Why not?"

_Crap, now what do I say?,_ she wondered, closing the book because she could no longer concentrate on the words anyway. There was absolutely nothing wrong with being curious about such things at her age. What she decided to read was her own business. Besides, it was a historical novel and was based on a real Queen. She was reading it for educational purposes. At least that was what she told herself to keep from feeling like a degenerate. "Mmmm, I've got something else in mind for you. How about something that involves heroes who go on epic quests to find things like golden shields and enchanted spears that grant them special abilities?"

"Okay."

Nao stood up, laying a dry towel on her stool before moving it closer to the tub for him to reach it. "There. I'm going to leave so you can get out and dry off. Your pajamas are right there on that little table."

Nao took the opportunity to change out of her sopping wet shirt. She had not noticed that the thing had gone transparent after getting wet. Thankfully Naruto had been so mesmerized by the bubbles that he had not noticed either. She would not have wanted to explain what was under her shirt. Once she was dressed in her pink pjs that consisted of a silk top with a mandarin collar and mid calf length pants, she went to her bookshelf to find a story better suited to his age and interests. There was a history book from a distant land that had many stories about the gods and goddesses the ancient people believed in. These deities would send humans on impossible journeys for their own selfish amusement. With a few tweaks and a little imagination on her part, she could turn one of these into a story for him.

"Ready?" she asked, when he walked out of the bathroom. She smiled to see him in the red shorts decorated with white swirls and the top that was white with red swirls. It was so nice to see him out of that orange jumpsuit. If she were the type of person to be cruel, she would burn that eyesore. Instead she had washed it and packed it away where he could not find it - just in case he asked for it in the future.

"Yep, I'm ready." Naruto passed her, going into his room. He jumped on the bed, throwing back the blanket.

Nao sat down on the futon beside him, pulling the fuzzy warm blanket over the both of them. She propped herself against the pillow, holding out her arm for him to sit next to her. She kissed the top of his head once he was comfortably cuddled to her side with his head laying against her breast as a pillow. It was only fair since she had stolen his pillow to support her back and left him with none. Opening the book, she began telling him the story of a man sent in search of a spear that belonged to the goddess of the hunt. The man wanted to become the best hunter of all the humans so he was willing to risk death to steal the spear. She incorporated her own ideas and words to make it interesting in addition to understandable. Her eyes became heavy as she read. Eventually, the book fell to the side and her arms wrapped around the sleepy little boy reclining against her. At this point, she was simply using her own imagination to tell the story because her eyes were burning with exhaustion. Her voice became softer and softer until she was no longer talking at all.

"Nao...Nao?" Naruto called, looking up at her. Darn it! She had fallen asleep. He wanted to hear the rest of the story. Oh, well...there was always tomorrow night. Snuggling more tightly against her, he hugged the stuffed fox she had given him. When he felt her arms tighten around his shoulders to keep him close, he sighed with the deepest contentment. He loved being here. He loved her.

=^..^=

Nao had Naruto sitting on a stool with a map spread out on the counter. She had been showing him where some of the products in the shop had come from. After showing him a jar, she would say the word then spell it out with him repeating it after her. Then they would find it's place of origin on the map. After explaining the item, such as its uses and health benefits, she would move on to the next one. They had done this on many days but only for a few minutes at the time because that was as long as his attention span had lasted before he ran out the door to play. She was not sure if he was sincerely interested today or if she had a captive audience due to the pouring rain outside. Either way, he seemed to be willing to learn and that was what mattered. Their learning session was interrupted when Iruka walked into the shop.

"Honey?" she inquired knowing he would be due for another jar of the sticky, sugary substance.

"Yes, dear?" he rejoined with an uncharacteristic show of a sense of humor. However, he had been unable to deliver the line without blushing violently.

"Good one," she chuckled, moving to the shelf to retrieve a jar.

Naruto watched the man with a suspicious eye as he came to the counter. He refused to return Iruka's friendly smile. Instead he narrowed his eyes while deepening his frown.

"What's up, Naruto?" Iruka asked in an attempt to draw him into a conversation.

"The sky obviously. Anything other questions?" he retorted, challenging the man.

Nao snorted like a pig in an attempt to withhold her giggle. She held out the jar of honey to Iruka with a broad, silly grin on her face. Laughter still wanted to bubble out of her mouth, especially when she saw the pink tint high on his cheekbones.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have more questions," he said, taking the jar of exotic creamy honey with a slightly pinkish hue from Nao. "Tell me about this."

Naruto glanced at Nao, receiving a nod of encouragement. He looked back at the teacher, giving him such a wide foxish grin his eyes narrowed to slits. The teacher was about to get schooled. "It comes from an island far across the ocean. The island is mostly volcanic, but there is an indigenous tree that grows there called the Ohia. The flower of the tree is called Lehua. The flower is viewed as sacred because it is said to be the first form of life to grow from the hardened lava flows. The legend is told that the island goddess had transformed the man she loved, Ohia, into the tree because he loved another woman and not her. The woman he loved, Lehua, was so saddened by his fate that she attached herself to the tree he had become, turning into a flower so she could be with him always. The people say that when a flower is picked from the tree, it rains because the lovers are crying at being separated."*

"Wow," Iruka gasped, his gaze transfixed on the child. He noticed the boy seemed to be waiting for him to ask another question. Picking up the small tin of tea Nao handed him next, he asked "What about this?"

Naruto looked at the map, pointing to a country far away from their part of the world yet connected to it because it was all on the same land mass. "It comes from here. It is a black tea that is a great blood builder due to its iron content. It also helps improve blood flow to all parts of the body. Stamina and energy are increased as well. It also helps with...what was that word Nao? Li-lib-...What was it?"

"Yeah, Nao, what was it?" Iruka asked raising an eyebrow. He was sure the word Naruto was searching for was libido.

"Well, forget about that part. You've explained enough, Naruto," Nao mumbled, her face heating up so drastically with embarrassment that she felt dizzy. She added up Iruka's purchases so she could get him out of the shop quickly.

"Geez, Nao, what are you teaching this kid?" Iruka could not stop smiling at her.

"More than I should apparently." She walked around the counter, pressing her hands against his shoulder blades to scoot him toward the door. "You should be going now. Have a nice day."

"I thought you wanted to talk about enrolling him in the Academy." He attempted to dig in his heels to halt his unwanted exit but the determined woman would not be deterred from getting him out of the shop.

"Later. Good bye." She thrust her shoulder into his back to shove him out of the door.

"Libido!" Naruto yelled, remembering the word. His eyebrows drew together and his lips puckered because he was deep in thought. "What does _that_ mean?"

"Ask me again in six years, and I'll tell you."

=^..^=

The first day of school. Naruto was excited. Nao had to wrap her leg around him to keep him still while she brushed through his golden hair that would not be tamed and stood right back up into its customary spikes. She looked him over from head to toe. His choice of deep blue colored shirt with a narrow white stripe down each long sleeve, black pants, and black sandals had her approval. He still had not asked for the dreaded orange jumpsuit.

"Ready?" Her lips turned up into a smile, although she felt sad. She considered the possibility that she was more nervous about this than him. Probably so.

"Let's go!" He grabbed her hand and jerked her forward which almost caused her to topple over on top of him.

"Would you slow down? I promise the school will still be there when you arrive and you won't be late." They were leaving thirty minutes ahead of time after all.

Naruto held her hand securely as they strolled toward the Academy. He chattered enthusiastically about all the things Iruka had told him he would be learning. "I won't just be learning the usual boring stuff like reading, writing, and math. I'll be learning how to be a ninja!"

Nao smiled to herself basking in the secret knowledge that over the last several months he had been learning the 'boring stuff' on a daily basis by helping her at the shop and had never once found it dull. It had often been an obstacle in the way of time with his friends, but never had it been mundane to him. She tightened her grip on his hand as they neared the school that was already bustling with activity. Her steps slowed to a stop. Looking down at him, her eyes met his vibrant blue ones. Tears filled her eyes unexpectedly

"It will be all right, Nao," Naruto assured her, letting go of her hand to give her a brief hug. "I'll be back home before you know it."

Nao chuckled self-consciously squeezing him quickly before releasing him. She would not want to embarrass him in front of the other students by treating him like a baby.

Shouts of jubilation mingled with the sobs of sorrow from the students milling about in the crowded school courtyard. The joyful children had gone to run and play with their friends or find their classrooms while the tearful ones clung to their parents. Nao had not felt like this much of an outsider since she had first came to this village eight years ago. Her mother had heard of the devastation of Konoha on their travels. Thinking it was a good place to rebuild their lives while helping to rebuild the village, they had come here to set up a business and make a life for themselves. At first they had been shunned and ignored, but through time they had gained a quietly hostile tolerance. After her mother died, she had been accepted as part of the village due to her willingness to maintain the shop many villagers had grown to depend upon. Squeezing Naruto's hand, she realized that was just another reason she felt so connected to him. It pained her that she had been received by the villagers better than the child of a former Hokage. Why had they not chosen to honor their dead leader's memory by someone, anyone, stepping up to take care of his child? Naruto had needed someone to love him and take care of him more than any other orphan considering he harbored that demon inside of him.

"Nao! Nao!" Iruka called, jogging up to her when he could not get her attention. He touched her on the shoulder, jumping back from her when she flinched and screeched. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I'm just a little...nervous," she muttered, glancing around at all of the people.

"And you're not even the one at their first day of school," he teased, grinning at her.

Naruto was searching the crowd for one of his friends. Seeing Shikamaru, he jerked his hand free from his overprotective guardian's and ran toward him.

"Naruto! Wait!" she yelled, her heart thumping in her chest.

"He'll be fine. Don't be so worried. You're acting just like a real mother," he said, watching as more boys gathered around the blonde to talk to him.

"You're acting just like a real jerk," she muttered, receiving an open mouthed stare of astonishment from the shy man.

"Don't be surprised when that sassy mouth comes back to haunt you when Naruto becomes an epic smart ass," he warned, smiling when it was her turn to gape at him.

"Ooooh, Iruka," she taunted in a low voice moving closer to him. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she murmured, "You said ass. Now is that the polite thing for a teacher to do around all these innocent children?"

"Hmmmm," he hummed, leaning closer to her. "Touche. Would you like to discuss this later over dinner?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Nao asked, pretending to be offended.

"Maybe."

"What if I said no?"

"Are you?"

"Maybe."

"NAAAAOOOO!" Naruto bellowed, barreling into her full force to push her away from Iruka. He threw his arms around her waist, squeezing until she could barely breathe. "I'll see you later!"

"Almost time for school to start. I better get to my classroom," Iruka said, offering her one last timid smile before walking away. He clapped Naruto on the back, herding him and a few other boys into the school building.

Nao once again felt the sting of tears behind her eyes as she slowly trudged home. She would miss him being with her, asking tons of questions, or running in and out constantly when taking a break from playing. Wiping away the tear that streaked down her cheek, she chided herself silently for being ridiculous. It was his first day of school, for god's sake, so why was she crying? She would have a big bowl of ramen waiting for him as a special treat to welcome him home.

~...~

Nao was in the kitchen cooking when Naruto dragged himself through the kitchen door. She turned to greet him, receiving a weak hug in return. She kissed his forehead which felt a tad too warm.

"Are you feeling all right?" she inquired with concern.

"I'm just tired," he responded, plopping down in a chair at the table.

"Eat this," she encouraged him, putting the overly large bowl full to the brim down in front of him. She was astounded that anything could deplete his seemingly boundless energy. Sitting down in the chair next to him, she waited to hear about his day.

"We read a lot...worked math problems on the chalkboard...then we began training," he mumbled, stuffing his mouth full of noodles.

"How did that go?"

"Tiring."

"I can tell." Nao watched him carefully to make sure he did not fall asleep in his bowl of ramen. His eyelids drooped with exhaustion, hooding his big blue eyes. "Want me to run your bath?"

"Uh huh."

Nao was sitting beside the tub testing the water when he shuffled his way into the bathroom. For once, bathtime was a relaxing experience with no wrestling or struggling. He was so dead tired that she was afraid to leave him alone. The bath was over and done with in a matter of minutes. She assisted him with getting into his pjs and then into his bed. No bedtime story was needed tonight because he was far too weary. Soon after he was tucked into bed, he was asleep.

Nao lay beside him, stroking his head. She was shocked that school had worn him out so much. Once she was satisfied that he was in a deep sleep, she sat up to scoot to the edge of the futon. Her movements halted instantly when she felt his fingers encircle her wrist.

"Nao...I love you," he mumbled, opening his eyes slightly.

"I love you too, sweetheart," she replied, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

"I want to marry you someday," he yawned, closing his eyes again.

"Marry me? Naruto, you can't - " She stopped speaking when his eyes opened wide to stare at her.

"You marry the person you love, right?" he asked, sitting up to move closer to her.

"Yes...sometimes...but - " There are different kinds of love. How could she possibly explain this in a way he could understand?

"Then I'll marry you some day." His huge blue eyes fastened themselves to her face.

The emotion there was so pure, so innocent, there was no reason to argue with him. Naruto would learn the difference someday. Nao smiled, hugging him before kissing his forehead again. She waited for him to lay back down before tucking the blanket around him. Brushing her fingers through his hair, she said, "Good night. Get some sleep now."

Nao hugged her arms around her body as she walked to her room. The childish declaration he had made warmed her heart. The sentiment and resolve he had expressed had been so sweet and sincere yet so naive. _You marry the person you love right? Then I'll marry you some day._

* * *

*I have to say I did not make this up. This is an actual tree from Hawaii and the mythological story behind it. There really is an exotic honey made from the nectar of these flowers.


	4. Puppy Love

Naruto was already in his second year of school. The focus had shifted from academics and the training of the mind to the training of the body and improving the ninja skills that had been learned. It was also important that the young shinobis learn to function as a teams so they had been divided into groups of three. Naruto had developed a serious crush on his team-mate, Sakura Hurano. Unfortunately, Sakura had an encompassing infatuation with the third member of their team, Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke had no interest in her as a girlfriend. He barely had the tolerance for her as a fellow team member.

Nao heard all about the trials and tribulations of the strange love triangle whenever she had to patch up Naruto's latest injuries administered by his beloved Sakura. She disliked that girl with a passion. Time and time again she attempted to explain to the wounded boy, damaged in both heart and body, that physical violence did not equal love. Since Sakura whipped his ass on an almost daily basis, it was a sure sign that she really did not like him. Giving him a black eye or nearly breaking his ribs was not a flirtatious way of saying that she really cared deeply for him. She could understand why Naruto did not pummel Sakura back, but it did not make her any less furious. He certainly had the ability; just not the heart. Perhaps it was her fault because she had taught him that it was never permissable to hit a woman, particularly in anger. That was before Sakura had come into his life. In the pink haired harpy's case, she would make an exception. Nonetheless, not only would Naruto refrain from attacking her, he refused to defend himself. She did not understand the situation at all. As much as she detested the abusive and odd relationship he had chosen to subject himself to, she would have to allow him the time to work through his feelings on his own. Only Naruto could change his feelings for Sakura. There was nothing she could say or do to stop it. Having to permit him to deal with the emotional wounds inflicted by that girl pained her even more than seeing his physical injuries.

Naruto had also taken over the responsibility of making the home deliveries. He would make them before or after school. Putting himself on a time schedule enabled him to practice his physical speed. He tried to complete the deliveries as fast as possible, moving at top speed through the village, while striving to beat his time from the day before. He would also try alternate routes such as hopping across the rooftops or swinging through the trees to give himself a challenge and also to build his strength. Sometimes he would be slowed down by the customers inviting him inside for tea or food to show their gratitude for receiving their desired goods in a timely manner. Occasionally, he was rewarded with a monetary tip. Atsuko's house was always his favorite stop. The candy she once gave him had become offerings of cookies and sometimes a full meal. He had taken to calling her Grandmother which she seemed to like.

On this day, Naruto had just arrived home from school. He really did not want to have to do any chores or deliveries. He was worn out and beat - literally. Kakashi had given them the bell test today. He had successfully taken the bell off the man without being detected. Sakura had been so enraged by losing she had punched him right in the face, splitting his lip. He poured a cup of the special tea that Nao made for him to help reduce the swelling and bruising. It had not escaped his attention that she had made it a habit to brew this tea on a daily basis. He knew she was lying when she said she did it because she liked the taste, although it did taste quite good. Flavored with a blend of orange, berries, and honey, he could not taste the bitter herbs that went into the mixture. After making an ice pack and holding it to his lip, he went into the shop to find Nao. He would have smiled if it did not hurt so much. She was standing at her mixing table, grinding herbs with the stone mortar and pestle. He could tell she was angry because she looked as if she wanted to crush the dried leaves into oblivion.

"Dammit," he muttered, realizing that she already knew what had happened at training. That damn Iruka had become quite the informant in his pathetic attempt to get close to Nao. In two years that man had made no further progression in a relationship with her than becoming a friend. Why didn't he just give up already? Naruto refused to see what a hypocrite he was being in criticizing Iruka for chasing a futile relationship.

"Are you going to come out and talk to me or continue peeking at me from around the corner?" Nao growled, adding another handful of herbs to the small stone bowl to pulverize them into a powder.

_Dammit, how does she do that? _Naruto wondered, slowly walking toward her from the hall where he had been taking refuge. She truly had developed "mommy senses" in that she always knew when he was lurking around. So far he had not been able to sneak up on her no matter how hard he tried to mask his presence. Sometimes it was if she could read his mind too.

"So what did she do today and why?" Nao inquired without even looking at him.

"She punched me in the mouth because I passed the bell test...and she didn't," he answered truthfully. He had tried lying to her in the past. It had ended badly for him.

"Naruto," she said, hauling in a deep breath while she struggled to control her temper. She slammed the stone pestle down on the wooden board, placing her palms flat on the surface. Her green eyes that seemed to glow from the fire of anger burning inside of her met his. "I have tried to keep my mouth shut about this. I wanted you to decide for yourself in this matter. I can no longer stand idly by while you allow yourself to be abused by that girl."

Nao went to him, putting her arms around him. She held him tightly despite the fact he was no longer a small child. He was not far from his twelfth birthday and was steadily moving toward becoming a man. His voice had already started to crack occasionally. A recent growth spurt had caused him to shoot up several inches, making him nearly as tall as her. Of course, since she was barely over five feet tall, she fully expected him to overtake her in another year before becoming much taller than her.

"I can't hit her. You told me - " He was interrupted when she took his face between her palms to look at him.

"I know what I said. I also know what I didn't say. I never told you that you could not defend yourself. You don't have to hit her but you can stop her from hitting you," she explained, pulling back his hand with the ice pack to look at his lip. Her eyebrows drew together as she examined the wound, debating if he needed stitches. Carefully pressing the ice pack back to his lip, she realized the swelling would have to go down before she could see the full extent of the injury. "I haven't wanted to say anything because I didn't want to hurt you more or cause you to be angry with me." She sighed, kissing his forehead before she spoke her next words. "She does not love you. Hurting you physically and stomping on your emotions is not her weird way of saying 'I love you.' That's not how love works."

"I don't understand," he sniffed, tears rolling from his big blue eyes. "I don't understand how it works."

"It's a complicated thing. Most of us just kind of stumble our way through it and hope for the best. I'm not sure of a lot of things where love is concerned, but I do know one thing for sure...what that girl does to you is not it," she murmured, wiping away his tears with her hands. When more tears fell, she kissed his whiskered cheeks tenderly to remove them.

Naruto dropped his hand holding the ice pack for it hang limply at his side. His other hand rested on her hip while his fingers grasped her waist. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sensation of her soft lips pressing against his skin. His body reacted to her in a way he found shocking and quite disturbing. There was an odd stirring, a flood of warmth followed by a hardness, between his legs which caused a knot to form in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to turn his face to hers, to catch her lips on his despite the throbbing discomfort of his wound. There was another pulsating ache that had taken over and blurred out everything else in his mind. The temptation to slide his hand up to her chest was almost unbearable. She was his adoptive big sister and sometimes acted like a mother to him. He should not be having the thoughts or feelings about her that he was experiencing at the moment. When her lips grazed the corner of his mouth, he flinched away from her while inhaling sharply.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt your lip?" Nao asked, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at him. She chewed her lower lip nervously as she watched him cautiously touch the ice pack to his lip.

"No. I'm fine," he assured her, feeling quite confused about his conflicting emotions. The unnerving physical reaction did not help either.

"Why don't you go lie down before dinner?" she suggested, running her fingers through his hair. The pinched expression on his face gave her the impression that he was in pain. He was in pain...but it was not from his busted lip.

"I-I th-think I will," he stammered, waiting for the uncomfortable stiffness beneath his waist to subside a bit.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, looking him over from head to toe.

"I'm fine!" he exclaimed, whirling around to walk away quickly before she saw his present problem.

Nao scratched her head, perplexed by his loud, emotional outburst. If only Naruto could have an adverse reaction like that to Sakura she would feel a lot better about that situation. He will figure it out soon. She was sure of that.

~...~

The next day, Naruto was sitting under a huge shade tree on the training grounds while they were taking a break. Kakashi was sitting in the branches above him reading yet another filthy sex book while Sakura was following Sasuke around like a lost dog trying to get his attention. He had not received one punch or kick from her all week since he had begun ignoring her, only speaking to her when necessary for purposes of training. His mind had been too preoccupied with thoughts of the pretty woman he had grown to love as a big sister to be concerned with the ill tempered Sasuke devotee. Strange dreams about Nao had invaded his sleep every night. They were strange in a good way, but they were thoughts he had never had before. Dreams that left him excited and breathless, unable to calm down until he took matters into his own hands. He had begun to ponder what Nao looked like naked. The thoughts sickened him and enthralled him at the same time. He shouldn't be thinking those things about her. She was his big sister. She would be so ashamed of him if she knew what was going on inside of his head Yet he could not stop. When she hugged him, he would purposely hold her tighter to feel her breasts pressed against his chest. His fingers would stray as far as they could over her hips without her noticing or before things got weird. Sighing loudly with frustration, he closed his eyes and lightly banged the back of his head against the tree as if trying to knock the thoughts out of his brain.

"Hey, stop doing that. You're shaking my tree, and I can't read," Kakashi admonished him.

"Sorry," Naruto mumbled although he was not sorry at all. The perverted ninja should not be openly reading that crap around them anyway.

"What's wrong with you?" his teacher asked, dropping down to the ground to land soundlessly in front of him.

"When did you start having thoughts about...you know?" he inquired, pulling at the grass between his legs. He could feel the blush covering his face. Why was he discussing this with Kakashi of all people? It was this guy or Iruka so he seemed to be the better choice. His options of trustworthy males with whom to talk about such matters was ridiculously few. Grandpa was not an option at all. Iruka: not just no, but hell no - he might tell Nao. Nao was definitely out of the question since she was the person around whom his bothersome dreams were built. So then here he was with Kakashi about to discuss his deepest, darkest secret.

"Sex?" Kakashi questioned him.

"Yes," he hissed in reply, glaring at the masked ninja. It was apparent that the man was smiling beneath the mask that covered nearly all of his face.

"When I was younger than you actually."

"That's not surprising."

"It's perfectly normal. Why?"

"No reason."

Kakashi patiently waited for his student to ask another question. He was thinking about the fact it was possible the Nine Tails had forced Naruto into an accelerated puberty in response to Nao. There was something strange about that woman he had never been able to pinpoint. She had no discernible chakra flow whatsoever which seemed impossible. Everyone in the village knew little to nothing about her past even though she had lived in the village ten years now.

Over the last two years, he and Iruka had been working with the boy during to teach him to control the immense power he held inside. It seemed the time had come to kick that private training up a notch. When Naruto did not ask anything, Kakashi made an inquiry of his own. "Are you having sexy dreams? Dirty thoughts?" When the boy's whiskered cheeks became a deep cherry red, he knew he was on the right train of thought. "Sexy dreams and dirty thoughts about anyone in particular?"

Naruto followed the silver-haired ninja's line of vision to Sakura. His lip peeled back from his teeth in disgust when he saw the girl touching Sasuke on the arm while she chattered away incessantly. "Yeah...but not her."

"Nao?" he ventured. His suspicion was confirmed when he received a murderous glower. "I see."

"You see what, you pervert?" Naruto snarled defensively. "You only have one eye for god's sake. How much can you see?"

Kakashi smacked him across the head. "Insolent brat," he scolded his smart aleck student. For the purposes of increasing the boy's discomfort and humiliation, he added while scratching his chin pensively, "She is a beautiful woman so I can understand why you would have those thoughts about her. I've had a few of those thoughts about her myself."

"And that is why I will never let you get near her," he shot back.

"But seriously...it's all normal. Even the fact that you are thinking that about Nao."

"It's weird though."

"It would be weirder if you had those kinds of thoughts about the gorgeous Uchiha over there," Kakashi retorted, successful in making Naruto chuckle which lightened the oppressive atmosphere. "It's time to get back to practice."

~...~

Nao was waiting for Naruto on the front porch of the shop when he came home from school. She greeted him warmly, searching for any physical injuries. For weeks now he had been coming home injury free other than those sustained during training which could not be helped. This change in things made her very happy.

"I need you to take this to the Inuzuka's," Nao said, handing him a bag.

"What is it?" he asked, turning the small leather pouch over in his hand.

"It's medicine for the new puppies," she answered, glancing past him. She had seen a flash of pink hair that disappeared behind some trash cans.

"Puppies? Cool! I can't wait to see them," Naruto exclaimed with enthusiasm. Looking at Nao, he saw that she was staring down the street at something. Moving to stand next to her, he attempted to see what she was looking at. Unexpectedly, her hand shot out right in front of his face. "What the-"

Nao opened her palm to show Naruto the rock she had caught before it had struck him right in the face. She closed her hand, hurling it back at the person who had thrown it. A wicked smile curled her lips when a shriek of "OW!" was followed by Sakura coming out of her hiding place while rubbing her forehead where the rock had hit her. Her smile widened, and she wiggled her fingers in a wave at the girl glaring at her with such intensity she could feel the fury. Her joy grew exponentially.

"How did you do that?" Naruto queried, shocked by her stunningly fast reflexes.

"There's a lot you don't know about me yet, Naruto," she told him giving him a wink. "Now, don't you have a delivery to make?"

"Uh...yeah," he mumbled, clutching the bag in his hand. He watched Sakura run off before he walked down to steps to go to his destination. His mind tried to make sense out of what had just happened as he plodded along to the Inuzuka's house. Nao was not a ninja and abhorred fighting. He chalked it up to super fast reflexes and the motherly instinct to protect him. She had sensed he was in danger and dispensed with the source of the threat. Kind of like how she had wanted to protect him from Sakura emotionally. He believed he finally understood what Nao meant about all of that. Displays of violence were never an acceptable way to show love unless protecting the person he loved. Beating them to a bloody pulp on a regular basis just for the fun of it was _not _love in disguise - ever.

"Hey, Naruto!" Kiba yelled.

Naruto saw his friend standing at the gate with his constant companion Akamaru by his side. He waved and ran to meet them.

"Have you got it?" Kiba asked, holding out his hands for the medicine.

"Of course I do," Naruto returned, shoving the pouch into his friend's waiting hands.

"Want to see them?"

"Sure."

Kiba led Naruto to the barn where the new mother was laying with her pups. They stared over the top of the door to the stall that was actually meant for a horse. The Inuzuka's housed their prized dogs here instead. During the day, the dogs roamed free all over the extensive property. His mother and sister trained them while Kiba was at school. He had the job of playing with them all when he returned home. He had to train Akamaru himself. The division of duties worked for him.

"The puppies belong to one of Hana's triplets," he explained as they studied the wriggling, whimpering gray and white babies.

"Wow," Naruto whispered, gazing at the brand new puppies. He noticed one had been separated from the others. The pup cried for its mother but was ignored. "What about that one?"

"Oh, he's the runt. He's been rejected by Kaya. He's going to die," Kiba told him with no show of emotion.

"But why?"

"He's weak and will never be as strong as the rest. He's not good enough to be allowed to live."

"I don't believe that," Naruto protested, feeling anger building inside of him. How could his friend be so cruel? But then, the Inuzuka's did possess the most sought after canines for a reason. There was no place for weaklings among the elite. Pressing his lips together in a thin line of determination, he was determined this puppy was going to have a chance just like he had been given. Some outcasts had to fight their way to the top.

"What?" Kiba asked, catching a glimpse of his friend who was wearing resolve like a mask.

"I don't believe that he deserves to die just because he was born small and weak," Naruto repeated, glaring at Kiba. "Can I have him?"

"Well, yeah but - " He was interrupted by the determined blonde.

"Tell me what to do. I'll take care of him," he insisted.

"All right then," Kiba muttered impatiently. He opened the door to go into the stall to retrieve the rejected puppy. The mother dog paid no mind to the boy picking up the baby she did not want anyway. Once he was out of the stall, he handed his friend the puppy. "Put him in your shirt to keep him warm. You will need to buy a little bottle, maybe one made for a doll, and make a special milk to feed him. He will need to be fed every three to four hours and kept warm because he can't regulate his own body temperature. You shouldn't waste your time, Naruto. I doubt he'll make it through the night."

"It's not wasting my time. He'll grow up to be big and strong," Naruto argued, tucking the tiny puppy with a slightly cool body into his shirt. He held the whimpering baby next to his heart which caused him to stop making so much noise. "You'll see. He will be just fine."

"You're going to be a great mother, Naruto."

"Shut up!"

~...~

"Nao! I brought home a surprise!" Naruto yelled, rushing into the back door. He came in through the kitchen because he knew she would be preparing dinner.

"What have you-oh!" she gasped, taking the tiny puppy he held out to her. She held it between her hands to keep him warm. "He's precious. But, Naruto - "

"He was going to die, Nao!" he exclaimed, opening his backpack. He pulled out the bottle and baby blanket that he had bought with his own money. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper which were the directions Kiba's mother had written down for preparing the milk. "I couldn't let that happen. Just because he was born a runt doesn't mean he should die."

"Oh, Naruto," she murmured, tears springing to her eyes. She took the baby blanket he held out to her to wrap the puppy in it. Holding the little bundle to her chest, she skimmed over the list of herbs that were needed in the formula. Thankfully, she had them all. How could she possibly tell him no and refuse him in his desire to save the puppy? "What do you want to name him?"

"Keitaro. It means blessed. I think I was meant to have him because he's just like me. I was rejected and no one wanted to take care of me. I was little and starving and no one cared if I died. Now I'm growing up to be strong and smart because you took care of me. Keitaro just needs someone to love him...like I did." He was caught off guard when she flung her arm around him, keeping her other arm securely around the puppy that was in between them.

"Don't say anything else. I understand," she whispered, kissing his cheek. She moved back to transfer the puppy to his hands. "Here. Take good care of him while I gather these things and get the milk prepared."

"I will." He stuffed the puppy back into his shirt to keep him warm and calm while Nao worked quickly. He watched her intently as she measured, poured, mixed, and heated the ingredients. Once the bottle was ready, he eagerly reached out for it because the puppy had begun to emit a heart wrenching cry that was steadily growing weaker. Touching the nipple to the puppy's mouth, he was disappointed to see him shy away and refuse to take it.

"Squeeze a little bit out onto his lips. Let him taste it," Nao instructed him patiently, observing him as he put a drop of milk right in the middle of the puppy's lips. She smiled when the white drop disappeared and the tiny creature swung his head back and forth searching for more. "Keep doing that since he's so small. He'll take the nipple in a few days when he gets bigger and stronger."

Naruto gave her a big grin while being filled with a sense of pride he had experienced at such times as giving food to the children at the orphanage, successfully completing his first solo delivery, and moving on to his second year of school. She had a way of making him want to be a better person, to see beyond himself and to help others.

~...~

It was like having a newborn human baby in the house. Every few hours, one of them had to get up to feed the crying, hungry ball of fur. Nao had the last turn so the next one would be Naruto's. Upon hearing Keitaro's whimpers, he stumbled half asleep to the kitchen to warm the bottle. Once it was ready, he shuffled his way into Nao's room, sitting next to her sleeping form on the bed. The noisy, squirming animal had not even disturbed her sleep she was so exhausted. He reached for the runt who was tucked under her chin and rooting for food against her neck. Closing his tired eyes, he listened to the sucking and swallowing sounds of Keitaro that were so loud he could not hear the deep cadenced breathing of the sleeping woman lying beside him. Once the puppy's hunger was sated, he held the baby animal to his chest while trying to find the energy to get up. Hearing their heart beating seemed to keep Keitaro quiet. He knew he should get up and return to his bed, but he was just too tired to do so. Soon he was fast asleep.

About an hour later Nao was awakened by something soft tickling her nose. She reached up to push it away, coming into contact with a round solid object covered by the silky fluff. It was too big to be the puppy. Her fingers moved through the softness feeling their way around the object before contacting smooth skin. Her eyes popped open to see that the downy fuzz was a golden blond color. Naruto's head was lying against her chest where he had wedged himself between her arms. Keitaro was still held in his hands and sleeping contentedly between the both of them. She kissed Naruto on top of the head, putting her arms around him while taking care not to smash the puppy. They had recently had the discussion that he was getting too old for this in addition to the changes that were taking place within his body which made it unacceptable for him to sleep with her anymore. Since she was still so incredibly tired, she decided just to settle back down to get some more sleep. It certainly couldn't be strange for him to sleep with her occasionally; especially under unusual circumstances like this. Besides, she was nothing more than his big sister.


	5. Rebellious Love

"Happy thirteenth birthday!" Nao exclaimed, bursting into Naruto's room. Keitaro ran past her, pouncing on the sleeping boy to give his face a thorough licking.

"Ugh! Gross! Get out Keitaro!" he yelled, pushing the frisky two year old pup away from his face.

The dog was as much of an antsy, active teenager as Naruto. He just liked to wake up earlier in the morning than his master who preferred to sleep until noon on days when there was no school. Naruto was sleeping more than usual and some days it was nearly impossible to drag him out of the bed. Waking him up for school was an absolute battle. When he was finally awake, he was a nonstop force of nature that showed no signs of tiring until he practically passed out from exhaustion at night. Arduous studying and grueling training had propelled him to the top of his class. He had even surpassed the highly intelligent, naturally gifted Sasuke Uchiha. What came easy to Sasuke had required twice the effort for Naruto, but all of the self-imposed stress on his mind and strain on his body had been worthwhile. The hard-won accomplishments became even more meaningful when he had seen the expression of gape mouthed shock on the Uchiha's face. Sasuke's already light-colored skin had turned a ghastly gray color and his usually narrow eyes had widened to big round circles as they looked at the board listing the rankings of the students in their class. Disbelief and envy along with anger had taken hold of Naruto's scholastic opponent when Sasuke made the startling revelation that he had been outdone by the boy he had been deemed as a loser long ago. Anger turned to resentment when the Uchiha prodigy had no choice but to acknowledge Naruto and the fact that the person he had ignored, the team-mate he had despised, and fellow student he had haughtily dismissed, was officially better than him mentally and physically. The proof had been in writing right in front of them for everyone in the school to see. After that was when the fights had begun. The fights were not only between Naruto and Sasuke but every other male member of the class as well. They all acted as if they had something to prove by challenging him to a physical altercation. The only people who did not pick a fight with him were the few good friends he had made years ago and had kept throughout school.

Naruto groaned and rolled over, wrapping himself in his blanket. His body ached and his face hurt from the skirmish he had gotten into at the party at Sakura's house last night. They were drawing close to the end of the school year so a different person was throwing a party each weekend to celebrate. It also helped relieve the anxiety and pent-up energy incurred during the week from studying and taking tests. Last night Sakura had been coming onto him pretty heavily and would not leave him alone. When he continued to refuse her advances, a fellow classmate accused him of being in a 'wrong' relationship with Nao to explain his disinterest in Sakura and to insult him at the same time . He was not sure if it was guilt from the longings he had been having for her or the public disparagement of the woman he loved, but whatever the reason, he had commenced to beat the living hell out of the boy twice his size. Unfortunately, he had not remained unscathed. He had received a black eye and a busted lip which was nothing in comparison to the damage than he had doled out to his opponent. The scuffle had ended when he had broken the bigger boy's lower leg bones, both the tibia and the fibula, with one well placed kick.

"Are you all right?" Nao asked Naruto when he did not move. She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead, willing herself to remain calm. Sighing loudly without trying to hide her hurt or disappointment, she immediately took another deep breath to tamp down her anger. Her last nerve was about to break from him constantly ignoring her and avoiding her. He was no longer her sweet little boy. He was officially an adolescent pain in the ass.

"I'm fine. Please, go away," his muffled voice requested from inside his fabric cocoon.

"Okay. Your cake is on the table if you want to get up and get a piece," she told him, backing out of his room. She conveyed her agitation in a not so subtle manner by slamming the door to his room so hard that it shook the wall and caused the awards that he had received for academic excellence to fall off of the shelf where he kept them.

"Dammit," Naruto growled, painfully aware that she was upset. He had not wanted to hurt her feelings; he had just wanted her to go away. It was better for him and for her if she did not see that his face had recently been used as a punching bag. _If only she could see the other guy_, he thought to himself. He smirked, laughing a bit at the thought. Hissing in pain when a tearing sensation went through his damaged lip, he raised his fingers to gingerly touch it to check if he had reopened the wound. No blood. That was good. Rolling onto his back, he placed his hands behind his head to stare at the ceiling and think.

Life had become excessively confusing for him. His success at school had gone far beyond what he could have thought possible for him. Nao had believed in him, pushed him, and aggravated him to help him reach this point. Sometimes he contemplated what it was all for and if it was really worth it. Due to his accomplishments, he had unintentionally started a war between himself and his jealous classmates. There had also been some rumors started about the nature of his relationship with Nao that was true only in his dreams. With hormones raging and his ties to her being questioned constantly, he was willing to kick anyone's ass who dared to perpetuate the rumors. It seemed as if everyday he was confronted by something, a physical taunt or verbal slight, that he would respond to with a flurry of fists and pain for the culprit. He knew he was disappointing Nao with his behavior but some things needed an immediate and violent response. She just did not understand what he was going through at all. He felt as if he could not talk to her about any of it mostly because part of his problem was her. Sometimes he was so angry he did not care how much he hurt her by shutting her out. If only she knew how she was upsetting him by invading his mind, dominating his dreams, and exciting him in ways she should not. So what if it was nothing she was doing on purpose? It was still happening - a lot. And he would never admit any of it to her or anyone else. He had been keeping it all to himself lately, not trusting anyone - even the men who had been his confidantes before.

Naruto curled onto his side, hugging his pillow to his body. He closed his eyes because they ached. The last thing he wanted at this moment was to hear was a long and loud lecture from Nao which would literally add insult to injury. For the first time in his life, he absolutely hated to hear her voice sometimes especially when she scolded him as if he were a child. When she went out to make the deliveries today, he would get out of bed, eat a piece of his birthday cake, and find somewhere to go to stay away from her. Guilt washed over him before dissipating quickly. It had been her decision to take over his responsibility so there was no reason to feel guilty. She had suggested doing it so that he would have more time to study and practice. It had been her idea not his. Maybe he would visit Kiba and Akamaru today. He and Keitaro both could relax and have some fun while steering clear of Nao.

~...~

Later that day, Nao knocked on Iruka's door. She had chosen to make his delivery the last one for the day. Swinging the basket she held in her hands, she waited impatiently for him to answer the door after she knocked a second time. She was not sure why she was in a hurry to get home but she was. The house would most likely be empty. Even the darn dog would be gone. With a dejected sigh, her eyes lowered to the ground and she traced the edge of the welcome mat with the toe of her flat black shoe. She had brought his usual order of honey and green tea along with cinnamon and a few other spices. All she could think about was Naruto. Her mind was desperately trying to unravel the mystery he had become. He had become reclusive, angry, and irritable. He acted as if he hated her. On some days when his attitude was particularly deplorable, she came close to requesting that he leave her house and find his own damn way to make it in the world. But it had become his house too. They had made it a home by becoming their own kind of special little family. The unconditional love she held for him prevented her from sending him away.

"Nao? Are you all right?" Iruka asked, touching her shoulder when she did not respond to him opening the door. He jumped back when she flinched violently.

"What?" she queried, her eyes displaying the bewilderment she felt. She had been so inundated by her ponderings that she had been completely unaware of when he had answered the door.

"Come inside," he invited her, taking her by the arm. "I'll make you a cup of tea. You look like you could use it."

_I could use something much stronger. A bottle or two of sake might take off the edge, _she thought to herself, willingly accepting his offer of tea. Perhaps it would help if she distracted herself with a little pleasant company. She had grown tired of being by herself, only having the occasional interactions with customers at the shop and while making deliveries. Her eyes darted around his house inquisitively because she had never been inside of it before. It was small and sparsely furnished like one would expect of bachelor. Unlike a single man's abode, it was meticulously clean and tidy with everything in its place. It had a warm and cozy quality to it that she had not been expecting. He was a quiet man full of surprises. When he led her into the kitchen, she reached into her basket to set his items on the counter. Glancing at her host, she smiled to see how wonderfully domestic he was as he expertly moved about the kitchen.

"Have a seat while I get the tea ready," he told her in his soft, kind voice.

Nao put her basket on the floor at her feet after sitting down in one of the straight-backed wooden chairs. Her eyes drifted to the window where she watched two squirrels chase each other around the thick trunk of the tree in his back yard. Her mind wandered again. When Naruto was younger, she would sometimes chase him around the back yard. She would catch him, tickling him until the both of them were laughing so hard they could barely breathe. A sad smile touched her lips. She could not stop thinking about the blonde who had become a ghost in her life. Where was he right now? What could he be doing? Why was he acting this way?

"Here," Iruka said, pushing the cup into her hand.

"Thank you," she mumbled, grasping the cup with both hands. The warmth of the steaming liquid was a sad substitute for the warmth she was missing in her life. No more random hugs or aimless exploring together or long talks about everything and nothing at all once. She felt so alone and bereft not having her blond companion with her constantly like he used to be. He had become a part of her. Was he a part of her life she was about to lose? A wistful sigh passed her lips without her noticing.

"What's wrong?" Iruka asked, sitting in the chair across from her. "Is it Naruto?"

"Yes," she answered a tad too abruptly. Pausing to get her emotions under control, she sipped the tea sweetened with honey. "I don't understand the way he has been acting lately. I don't know what to think...or feel."

"It's just part of being a teenager. He'll be all right. There's nothing wrong with a little rebellion. Besides, he feels like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders right now," he told her, watching her stare into her cup as if the answer she was looking for were at the bottom. "Everyone's expectations of him are really high at the moment. Including yours."

"Is there anything else?" she inquired, taking a long sip of her tea. She felt as if she were being accused of something but she was not sure what. When did it become a bad thing that she wanted Naruto to be an astounding success in life? To prove to everyone in the village that he was much more then they ever gave him credit for being? Using great self-control, she did not say anything insulting in return to him. Instead she concentrated on the exquisite taste of the tea as it rushed over her tongue and slid down her throat to soothe her worn nerves.

"You'll never have your sweet little boy back," he told her, giving her a comforting smile when her sad eyes met his. "He's becoming a man. He's going to change. You've got to allow him the time to figure things out for himself."

Nao kept silent as the stab of emotional pain sent a physical jolt of discomfort through her entire body. The words hurt, but they were true. Time, patience, and understanding were things she had always given to Naruto without measure. However, in this rebellious state he had managed to find her limits, therefore she had become short in supply of all three. Time was the only thing she possessed in abundance but not for putting up with his present brand of bullshit. Her patience was wearing thin with his bad attitude and disappearing acts. Understanding - that she did not have at all because being a female she had no idea what it was like to become a man. Becoming a woman had been difficult for her at best and at worst there had been times when even she thought she had gone insane. Surely it had to be about the same experience for him, maybe worse. She would never know exactly how these changes were effecting him. She wanted to do what she could to help him make the difficult transition to adulthood. But what? Possibly the best way to offer her assistance was to stay away from him until he was done going through whatever he was going through.

"It will be okay. I promise," Iruka assured her, reaching across the table to take her hand in his. With his other hand, he touched her forehead to smooth out the worry lines that had formed there. "Naruto will be fine. And so will you."

Nao smiled at him. She did not feel like it would be okay, but she chose to believe him to comfort herself. The conversation turned to the matter of the upcoming culmination of the school year that would include a commencement ceremony. She had no idea what Naruto planned to do after school because he did not talk to her about ANYTHING. When she finished her tea, she stood up to leave. Her gracious host escorted her to the door, giving her a hug and chaste kiss on the forehead before she left. Although he sometimes hinted that he would like to be more, she could only see Iruka as a good friend. After waving good-bye at the end of his sidewalk, she hurried home.

No lights - Naruto was not home. This did not surprise her, but it did break her heart - again. She sighed sorrowfully while standing on the front porch at the locked front door. After letting herself inside, she walked through the house without turning on a light while making her way to the back porch. Sitting down on the swing, she kicked off with her foot to set it in motion. The pleasant, tranquil atmosphere of the closing of the day was settling over the village. The quiet was interrupted occasionally by a barking dog or a mother calling her children in to dinner. Clearing her mind of the thousands of questions swirling around, Nao drifted off to sleep as the swing swayed in the cool fall breeze while the sun sank below the horizon.

~...~

Naruto came home well after dark. He was surprised to see that there were no lights on in the house. Nao always left the light on in the shop for him. Fear set in immediately. Rushing in the front door, he was alarmed that it was not locked. He searched each room without finding her. When he could not find Nao, fear morphed into panic. Keitaro began barking from the kitchen. He ran to the kitchen to see the dog pawing and whining at the door that led onto the porch. Opening the door, he followed the dog who ran out in front of him. There she was - asleep in the swing. Catching Keitaro by the collar, he prevented the dog from licking her face to wake her up. Shushing him, he knelt down beside him to pet him in an attempt to keep the dog from barking.

"Good boy, good boy, Keitaro," he praised the dog, patting him on the back and head. He shooed the excited pooch back into the house. The last thing he wanted was for Nao to wake up and play a rousing game of twenty questions with him. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Who were you with? And on and on it would go.

Naruto moved to the swing, looking down at the sleeping woman. He touched her face gently with his fingertips before pressing his palm to her cheek. She was freezing cold and the dew had formed a wet blanket over her body from head to toe. Kneeling down next to the still swing, he pushed aside her hair that was dampened with the moisture to see her face. Her soft pink lips were pushed out in a pout in her present relaxed state. His thumb moved over her bottom lip which caused them to part slightly. _Has she ever been kissed?_, Naruto wondered silently. In all the time he had known her, Nao had never dated anyone - not even Iruka who was trying so desperately to make her his girlfriend. There was no way she could have been kissed by anyone. He had not received his first kiss yet either. If he had a choice, he would want his first kiss from her. Tracing her lips again, this time with his forefinger, he seriously considered kissing her. What if she woke up while his lips were pressed to hers? Oh, what the hell... Taking a deep breath to shore up his courage and act on sheer selfish desire, he touched his lips to hers. The contact was brief and feather light before his brain kicked into gear. What the hell was he doing? When he kissed her, he wanted her to know it - not steal it like a coward while she had no clue it had happened.

Blowing out the breath he had been holding, Naruto slid his arms under her body to lift her from the swing. He shifted her in his arms to get a more secure grip on her. For her small size, she was awfully heavy when unconscious. Her head lolled forward, fitting perfectly beneath his chin. Pushing open the cracked door with his foot, he carefully moved past the dog who seemed to be glaring at him disapprovingly. Keitaro followed him to Nao's room. The dog's nails made a clicking sound on the hardwood floor that sounded incredibly loud in the silence and darkness as Naruto moved stealthily to her room. He lowered her to the bed, accidentally dropping her the last few inches. Despite the rough treatment, she did not awaken.

"You must be really exhausted," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I didn't know I was making you worry so much."

Keitaro chuffed with displeasure when his master's lips moved closer to Nao's. He pressed his cold wet nose to Naruto's cheek pushing him away as he edged his furry body between theirs. The dog lay down next to her, making himself a living obstacle to separate the two people.

"Traitor," Naruto muttered under his breath, standing to his feet. He walked out of the door to go to him room. After closing his door, he leaned against it, sliding down to the floor. With his head in his hands, he murmured, "I'm sorry, Nao. I'm so sorry. Give me just a little longer to figure this out. I really do love you...probably more than I should."

~...~

The next morning, Naruto thought he was alone so he went to the kitchen to get something to eat. Yawning like a lion, he stumbled into the kitchen half asleep where what he saw made him freeze in his tracks. He saw Nao standing at the sink. Staring at her back and unable to speak, he noted the sag of her shoulders and the way her body shook. She was crying. His chest tightened, and he found it difficult to breathe. If he had to guess why, he would say that she was crying because of him.

"Why are you just standing there? Don't you have somewhere to go to avoid me?" she demanded without turning around to look at him. The fury and pain were evident in her shaky voice.

"Nao, I - " But what could he possibly say? Since there were no words, he went to her. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he felt her body immediately stiffen under his touch. Without giving in to his first instinct to withdraw his hand, he clamped his hand down on her shoulder to spin her around to face him. Before she could speak or slap him, he enclosed her body tightly with his arms in a bear hug. Despite being trapped firmly in his embrace, she twisted and pushed to extricate herself but he held onto her so she could not run away from him. They were the same height now but he was much stronger than her. Evenso, holding onto her was like trying to hang on to a cornered and terrified wild cat.

"Let me go! Let me go!" she screamed, beating on his chest with her fists.

"No! I won't! Not until you tell me what's wrong!" he yelled back at her, constricting his arms around her.

Nao could barely breathe he was squeezing her so tightly. She stopped moving, dropping her head forward onto his chest. "It's not fair!" she squalled, tears running down her face. "You run away without ever talking to me. Why can't I do the same?"

"Nao, what do I need to do? Tell me what to do," he implored her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Don't shut me out of your life. I want to be a part of it," she sniffled, relaxing in his arms.

"I want you to be a part of it," he responded, burying his nose in her hair. Inhaling deeply, his apprehension was soothed by her signature scent of lavender and vanilla. His whole body felt tingly and light as if every nerve ending were standing on end. Just what kind of role did he want her to play in his life? Her time of being a mother figure to him had ran its course relatively quickly and was long gone. He called her Big Sister, but he was consumed with thoughts inappropriate for a sibling. Then again, she was not actually related to him at all so what was the big deal? But he was too young for her to take him seriously as anything more at this time. Why did all of this have to be so damn difficult and endlessly baffling? There was something he needed to know for sure. Turning his head to position his lips close to her ear, he asked, "Tell me why you cry so much."

Nao could not find it within herself to be brutally honest at this time. Although her main reason for crying herself to sleep was because of him, she would not tell him. He was already dealing with enough at this time. She refused to be the cause of anymore misery for him. Taking a deep breath, she leaned into him while keeping her head down as she spoke. "Women cry for a lot of reasons. We cry because we're happy. We cry because we're sad. Sometimes we're not even sure why we cry."

"I don't understand," he responded, lifting his head from her shoulder. "And you didn't answer my question...why do _you_ cry?"

Nao slowly lifted her chin so her eyes could meet his that were so full of questions. She smiled despite the tears that had gathered in the corners of her shiny green eyes. "I don't expect you to understand. The reasons don't matter anyway. The best thing you can do when a woman cries is to hold her...allow her to cry. Don't ask questions and don't try to fix things. When she is ready, she will tell you what's wrong. Until then, love her. Let her know that you love her."

"Nao," Naruto whispered, loosening his grip on her. "I need you to do that for me as well."

The thing he needed from her was so simple that she had missed it completely. Not everything has an easy solution. Some things just have to be worked through. Nao gazed deeply into his eyes. There was an emotion there that she could not comprehend. It was so intense, so strong that it made her belly flutter and her heart beat faster. Pressing her hand to his cheek, for the first time she noticed what Iruka had pointed out to her. Naruto was becoming a man. His cheek was beginning to lose the roundness of childhood. His jaw was becoming more square and masculine. Within a few months he would probably be taller than her when his body took another growth spurt. She had willfully chosen to ignore the inevitable and the obvious: he was growing up, changing, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "Oh, Naruto," she gasped, flinging her arms around his neck. "No wonder you've been so angry with me."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you," he apologized, his arms winding around her waist.

"There's no need to apologize. This is just something we never expected and don't know how to deal with it," she rejoined, looking more closely at his face. She could see the anxiety tighten his facial muscles when she stepped back to study him carefully.

Nao's thumb traced the bruise that darkened the skin under his left eye and across his cheekbone. The gash on his lower lip caught her attention next. She put her hands on either side of his head to hold him still while she got a better look at it. That explains why he had been avoiding her; he knew she would have griped at him for hours had she known what was happening. "I'm sorry too. I should have been there for you. I should have allowed you to come to me with anything...any problem. But I didn't...I didn't..."

Naruto reached for her when he saw the tears fall from her eyes. He was following her advice: he was holding her while she cried without asking questions. Using one hand to stroke her back, he kept her cuddled to his body as she sobbed. Once her body stopped shaking, he loosened his hug to give her the option to stay in his arms or leave to walk away. His hand pressed against her cheek, tipping her face up to him when she did not move.

"It will be all right. I'll be all right," he murmured, his brow furrowing questioningly when she laughed mirthlessly.

"I had someone else tell me that too," she explained, patting his chest with her hand. Kissing his cheek, she chuckled sincerely this time before telling him, "I believe you, and I believe _in_ you."

"You always have," he responded, squeezing her before releasing her. One day he would tell her exactly how he feels. When the time was right, when he was older and could make her his, he would tell her everything. For the time being, he would keep that secret to himself. For now, she would be his Big Sister.


End file.
